Sometimes being a grown up just plain SUCKS. There’s bills to pay, insurances, car registrations, mortgages, rent, loan repayments, grocery bills, school fees…it’s endless. Then there is having to get up and go to work, or wipe someones bottom, or get into swimmers and go through a kids swimming lesson in a cesspit go germs, get on public transport, rush to pick up kids from daycare or Preschool. Do the grocery shopping, unpack the lot and then be expected to cook everyones dinner or make school lunches EVERY BLOODY DAY & NIGHT. You have to be a good friend, a wife that will put out, a Mum who is patient and kind, a gardener who keeps things looking good, a cleaner scrubbing other peoples poo from the toilet, a maid making beds and generally tidying up, a teacher with homework, an entertainer when people come over, a personal trainer making sure we do our exercise.
IT CAN BE REALLY HARD GODDAMMIT.
But there are SOME parts that make the whole thing worthwhile. I mean of course there are LOTS of things that make it wonderful like a family, a home, a loving partner blah blah blah but there are some other things that make it all OK. Especially on a shitty day.
1. Stealing the lollies from your kids party bag (extra good when the parents haven’t been tight and just got Aldi ones i.e. ME)
2. Going to the movies (non animated) all by yourself and getting popcorn and full strength coke and not sharing one bit.
3. Making a cake in the middle of the day when there are no children about so you can lick that spoon and bowl all by yourself
4. Going to a bakery and getting a custard tart and eating the entire thing JUST BECAUSE YOU CAN
5. Working hard so when you get paid you can by nice things for yourself.
6. Drinking champagne AND eating baked goods just because you can (do we see a baked goods non sharing pattern evolving here Beth?)
7. Taking yourself out to lunch mid week for something like dumplings because: DUMPLINGS
What are some good bits about being a grown up for you?
Anyone else seem to have a bakery fetish like me?
Massive bakery addiction here. I really can’t go passed a pie & vanilla slice.
Good grown up things-
Staying up late even though you know you shouldn’t.
Living with the person you love & kissing them whenever you want.
Eating raw cookie dough.
Being in charge of the remote control.
Yes, yes, YES and yes (although sometimes I am NOT in control of it).
I am NEVER in charge of the remote 🙁
Midweek dumpling fests with (grown up) friends is truly the best part of being a grown up.
You bet! I wish I could get some down here somewhere!!
My food phobia is custard, so I CAN’T do tarts, vanilla slice etc. ARHHH.
My treat is liquorice all sorts, not the fancy ones. Just the coles or wollies homebrand. I stuff a few in before school pick up.
My son has reached an age where he thinks he is hard done by as I buy things for me and he NEVER gets anything. But I HAVE to buy these things, light bulbs, pegs. They are stupid grown up things.
My other grown up treat is heading into town and buying my fav Haighs chocs.
And mid week lunch gyoza from the local Japanese shop.
Oh Margs! I am so sad that custard is a phobia food!
Bakery fetish…yes. Full strength Coke…hilarious. Love your style Beth.
I am quite clearly driven my food Jane!
You had me at custard tart!!!
A true thing of beauty!
I spy a Gumnut patisserie vanilla slice. That place makes EVERYTHING worth it.
We love to get Thai takeaway after the kids are in bed so we don’t have to share.
I love being able to buy nice things for myself but I also love buying nice presents for other people too.
Yes! I love giving good pressies too – a wonderful thing to do Averil 🙂
Full strength Coke in their absence for sure and dim sims, even Mc D drive through but not in my suburb as a uni kid I know will bust me. For the record, the only Mc D I have allowed is the fries, everything else is toxic.
Listening to Bronski beat out loud when I am home alone
Today is pay day and I always buy myself something for being in the paid workforce as well as running a household, like a trashy mag and coffee or last fortnight I bought a leopard print shirt which i am loving wearing and I do not explain these purchases to anyone
Good for you!
Being able to use the computer, whenever I want. Whilst drinking coffee. And eating cupcakes. BOOM!
Yes!
If only my small regional town had dumplings 🙁
In the meantime for me it’s a good romance novel (usually read during a 2am baby feed) so I can live vicariously through some gorgeous, intelligent heroine who is guaranteed hot sex and a happily ever after!
Oh and a glass of wine when baby-having and breastfeeding is complete. That was an awesome adult moment and one I’m looking forward to again. T-minus six-months or so til the weaning starts and I can chill out with a glass!!
I hear you on the no dumplings…we don’t have them here either 🙁
I found something in the supermarket called Hong Kong Kitchen and they do awesome pork dumplings and BBQ pork buns. Perfect for a little grown up treat when you can’t get to a dumpling emporium. Also Crazy Dragon for prawn hargow. Steam those babies, drizzle with mirin, soy and sesame oil and pretend you’re at lunch with your Besties!
Oh yum…thanks for the tips xx
I really want a custard tart now. That one looks good
It was REALLY good!
I think this is going to be my most random comment ever. But, for some reason I found myself watching a video on the quick shirt fold technique and it was informative and all that but the whole time I thought, Beth would do much much much better job. Anyway, I’ll return to watching a spot more shirt folding now. As you were x
Ha!
The best bit for me – being able to set my own bedtime. Sometimes I like to stay up late and watch ridiculous TV but sometimes I can just tuck myself in early and read a book.
Grown up!
I am really struggling with the crappity boring bits of life right now so this post was perfectly timed for me as it made me remember all the awesome things about being an adult. Staying up late and being able to buy chocolate whenever you like are two of my faves. Thanks Beth x
You’re welcome Tully! Hope there’s more good stuff soon x
The best bit for me – giving less of a shit what people think of me each year and learning to do what makes ME happy other than making other people happy.
Sing it sister!
I like everything about being an adult – being the boss of my own life just really appeals to me 🙂 The things I don’t enjoy now are similar to things I didn’t like when I was a kid…washing up, cleaning the bathroom. The things I like are pretty similar too 🙂
I’m with you Sara – and unpacking the dishwasher!
Vanilla slice is my weakness, as well as Danish’s.. I love that I can drop the kids off and hit the shops for a bit of a scout around, head home, do some work, bake, cook and then pick them up again.. having the freedom that I have and the life we have here is awesome. Definitely outweighs being an Adult !
Vanilla slices must have been invented for people being adults.
Love this Beth. I fully support the non-sharing of baked goods.
I had one of those “I love being a grown up” moments a few weeks ago. I’d popped down to the shops for milk and while waiting in line at the register a little boy was crying to his mum behind me because she wouldn’t let him have an ice cream. But then all I could think about was ice cream. So I stepped up to the register, paid for my milk and…oh actually I’ll have a paddle pop too thanks. The kid just stared at me. I felt so evil but it was the best damn banana paddle pop ever. Mwahahahaha!
Ha!!!!
Driving in the car by myself with 90’s pop music up LOUD! So doing that on my way to getting the custard tart.
Do it Bec!
Quite a few of my favourite things are food related too. Dumplings and custard tarts! Lets do lunch when you’re in Rads 🙂 I might even be brave enough to TALK to you. Imagine that.
Yes please x
Drinking too much. Eating too much. Staying up late. Sleeping in. Swearing. Driving. Booking holidays.
Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick! Tick!
You got me at custard tart…… I love your stripe top by the way!!!
Thank you!
Drinking coffee ,champagne and eating chocolate ,donuts and reading books ,buying sneaky online purchases and having nana naps on horrible days and wearing nice perfume ….these are a few of my favourite grown up things xx
All VERY good things indeed x
I grew up with custard tarts being an absolute favourite and now I live overseas and dear god they don’t make them here… I have to say I miss them more than my mother…well maybe not…but maybe….;)
Can you attempt to make one?! I know it wouldn’t be the same but might be worth a crack?!
I really should try! Some kind of custard and pastry…how bad could it be??
Try jamie olivers portugese tarts – from his 30 minutes meals book I think…..very easy and very good!!!
Thanks! I’ll check those out…I have a bit of crush on Jamie….well actually I think it is more of a Jools crush….
Please do…you need it in your life!
I really do!…and a good meat pie with mashed potato swirled on top and some strawberry yogo and chocolate custard in a carton….caramello koalas, violet crumbles and jelly snakes…I could go on… I can, however, buy Tim Tams now which was a pretty big moment for me…
Kris they are ALL my favourite things too….YOGO. Man, it’s been way too long!
I can drive myself to the beach for a play in the sea after I drop the kids to school
Driving! Anywhere! I SO wish I had learnt to drive sooner than I did.
When did you get your license? I was outside the rta with my yellow dihatsu charade ready to go at 17 🙂
I was 8 months pregnant and 29! What an idiot!
Deciding to stay up late to watch that movie you really have been wanting to watch because you can.
Yes!
One day I will introduce you to the lovingly made custards tarts at Hominy Bakery Katoomba.
I LOVE that pic of you licking the spatula xx
GIVE IT TO ME.
Being able to swear and to eat Nutella from the jar!
Fuck yeah!
I am the WORST at sharing food.
Especially ice cream.
No one should be expected to share ice cream. It’s inhumane.
Neenish tarts ! Can’t help it, they are my treat every now and then. They are really synthetic and full of sugar but I love them!
Jenni they are my FAVOURITE THING. I am obsessed with that nasty mock cream!
I LOVE being able to just decide I want baked goods, get in the car, go and get some, come home, eat and love life.
Pretty much just being able to simply decide what I want to do/eat/drink/purchase, then just doing so, is all pretty awesome, really.
It is!
This article wad sooooooo funny!! Looooved it!!!
🙂
Ooh licking the bowl is a good one (although Jono, 3 1/2, recently discovered the joy of being the only child home when I was baking – ‘Tom and Sophie are at schooooool’!!).
Remote control, control – check!
Also, deciding what to cook for dinner – sometimes a real pain, but I like setting the menu to my own tastes, even better is when everyone else thinks it’s a winner!
Lucky Jono!
Staying in bed as late as I want on non-work/study days
Going for a weekend away just because
Deciding on a whim to go swimming at the lake
Riding my bike home at night to go eat toast in bed
All VERY good things Cate!